Door lock



p il 1 1958 J. H. ROETHEL 2,828,993

DOOR LOCK Filed April 25, 1951 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent F tively quiet in operation and efiicient in use.

The improved door latch mechanism of the present invention is provided with a detent means for holding a rotary latch device in latching position, said detent Y or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of 2,828,993 Patented Apr. 1, 1958 ments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology description and not of limitation.

In the drawings there is illustrated, by way of example, a certain embodiment of the present invention as means being disengaged from the latch device from the outside of the door by manually operable means including a detent release lever pivotally mounted on the case plate portion of the latch mechanism. In order to prevent the release of the latch mechanism from the outside of the door, a pivoted member or lever is provided whch may be swung into blocking position relative to the detent release lever thereby to render it and the outer manually means inoperable to release the detent from the latch device. I I

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved means for automatically restoring the pivoted blocking member or lever to non-blocking position whenever it is in blocking position and the latch mechanism is released from the inside of the vehicle by actuation of the remote control handle or whenever the blocking lever is inadvertently placed in blocking position when the door is open and the door is then moved to a closed position. The improved automatic restoring means utilizes the fact that the detent means is pivotally actuable independently of the detent release lever which is actuable by the outer manually operable means. The detent means is, therefore, provided, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, with an extension on a latch device engaging arm which extension lies in abutting relation to a part of the blocking member or lever whenever the latter is in blocking position relative to the detent release lever. Under such circumstances when the detent is pivotally actuated independently of the detent release lever, either upon opening the door from the inside or by rotation of the latch device in unrestrained direction upon closing movement of the door, the extension on the detent will engage said blocking lever and move the same out of blocking relation to the detent release lever.

Other objects and details of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a sectional elevation illustrating the mechanism mounted on the case plate ofa door lock constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. l displaced from the position of the same mechanism as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken substantially rotation in a clockwise direction.

applied to the door and door frame structures of an automobile body. The latch device constructed in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a case plate 10 which is provided with screw bosses 10a which are adapted to receive screws for fastening the case plate to the inner side of the jamb portion or free edge wall of the vehicle door, the case plate 10 having a flange 11 which is adapted to be positioned along the inner panel of the door. The present latch device is provided with a rotatable toothed latch or bolt 12 positioned at the outer face of the case plate 10, this latch or bolt having an integral projecting stud shaft or pivot 13 extending through an aperture in the case plate which is formed as a bearing for the stud shaft. The inner end of the stud shaft 13 is flattened and extended through a correspondingly shaped aperture in arotatable toothed detent engaging memberor ratchet member 14 and is riveted thereto. From the foregoing construction it will be seen that the toothed latch or bolt 12 is rigidly secured to the detent engaging member or ratchet member 14, being concentric therewith on the stud 13.

The rotatable latch or bolt 12 is formed with a number of radially projecting toothlike projections 12a, such as six, which are spaced equally entirely around the periphery of the latch so as to provide in effecta gear type latch. v The detent engaging member or ratchet 14 is formed around its periphery with a number of abutments or shoulders 14a which correspond in number to the number of toothlike projections 12a. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment latch 12 has, for example, six toothlike projections 12a and the detent engaging member 14 has six equally spaced detent engaging abutments or shoulders 14a.

Cooperable with the peripheral notched edge of the ratchet 14 is a swinging detent, pawl or dog 15 pivotally mounted on a shoulder rivet 16 secured to the case plate 10. The detent 15, as seen in Fig. 4, is a two arm member having one arm 17 extending in a substantially downwardly direction and cooperable with the teeth or projections 14:: of the ratchet member 14. The detent arm 17 is engageable with any one of the teeth 14a in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to hold the ratchet member and hence the bolt 12 in locking position against The second arm 18 of the detent member 15 extends in a substantially horizontal direction toward the flange 11. The detent arm 17 has a further downwardly extending extension 19 for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

Associated with the detent is a vertically extending detent actuating or release lever 2i) which is pivoted intermediate its ends upon the shoulder rivet or stud 16, the same stud on which the ratchet 14 is pivotally mounted on the case plate. The release lever 20 has a lever arm 21 extending downwardly below the pivot 16 and overlying a substantial portion of the detent arm 17 and its extension 19. The lever arm 21 is provided with an aperture 22 through which projects a lug 23 turned upwardly from the detent arm 17. By virtue of this construction the lever arm 21 and the detent arm 17 are so interconnected that if the detent release lever 20 is swung about its pivotal axis in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l, the edge wall 22a of the aperture 22 will engage the lug 23 and thereby swing the detent member 15 about its pivotal axis in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, and the detent arm 17 will be disengaged from the ratchet member 14.

The detent release lever 20 has an. upwardly extendinglever arm 24 formed with a flange 24a thereon. This lever arm '24 is adapted to be engaged on the outer side of the flange 24a by an outside manually operable means, such as a push button 25, for imparting the pivotal or swinging movement to the detent releaselever 20 about its pivot necessary to cause disengagement of the detent 15 from the ratchet 14.

The detent arm .17 is yieldingly urged toward the ratchet 14 and the release lever is similarly urged toward its normal position seen in Fig. 1 by means of a single coiled spring 26 anchored at itsinner end to a kerf 27 in the stud 16. This spring has a downwardly extending arm 26a engageable with a portion of the lug 23 projecting through the aperture 22 in the release lever 20 and urges the arm 17 and therefore the whole detent member 15 in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1, about the pivotal axis 16 so as to yieldingly hold the detent arm 17 in latching engagement with a tooth 14a of the ratchet 14. Due to the interlocking connection between the lever arm 17 and the release lever arm 21, thelspring 26 will also function to urge the lever arm 21 ina counterclockwise direction about the pivotal axis 16. The lever arm 24 will thus be urged outwardly so as to be maintained in the normal non-operating position shown in Fig. 1. Thus, a single spring 26 is utilized to maintain the detent and release lever in their normal positions.

Means is-provided to ensure against any possibility that the detent and release lever will rattle while maintained in their normal positions. This means comprises 2. lug 28 lanced outwardly from the surface of the case plate. The lug 28 has mounted thereon a rubber washer or bumper 29. The lug 28 and its rubber bumper 29 arepositioned to be engaged by a portion of the second detent arm 18 and as a unit act as a stop to limit the movement of the arm 18 and therefore. the detent 15 in a counterclockwise direction.

The present latch device is preferably operated from the inside of the door through the medium of a remote control mechanism comprising a longitudinal shiftable draft link 30 which is pivoted at 31 to the lower end of onearm 32a of a bell crank lever 32, see Fig.3. The lever 32 is pivoted on a shoulder rivet 33 secured to the case plateflange 11 and is provided with a projecting arm 32b overlying at its inner end the detent arm 18. The remote control mechanism is preferably manually actuated from the inside of the door remote from the case plate 10 by means of a door handle which may be turned in a desired direction.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated means is provided for restraining or blocking the detent release lever 20 against operation from the outside of the door. The blocking means comprises a lever 34 pivoted intermediate its ends on astud 35 secured to the case plate 10. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the pivot axis of the blocking lever34 is lo- .cated below the pivot axis of the ratchet 14 and the lever .34 extends in a substantially horizontal direction. At its outer end 340, the left end as viewed in Figs. 1; and 2, the blocking lever 34 is provided with-a flange 36,

which flange, when the blocking lever 34 is in the po-v sition shown in Fig. 1, lies in the path of swingingmovement of the end of the lever arm 21 and thereby blocks swinging movement of the detent release lever 20 in a clockwise direction. Since it is necessary that the detent release lever 20 swing in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, inorder that the interconnection between the release lever 20 and the detent 15 result in movement of the detent arm 17 out of engagement with the ratchet 14,;the relationship ofthe flange 36 to the end of the zrfeleasezilever 21, as shown in Fig. 1,-renders-the--outer manually operable means, such as the push button 25,

inoperative to release the latch mechanism from the outside of the door and the door cannot be opened.

In Fig. 2 the blocking lever 34 is shown in a position in which the flange 36 is displaced out of the path of the swinging movement of the end of the lever arm 21. When in this position, the release lever 20 is freely swingable to release the detent 15 from the ratchet 14 and the door can be opened from the outside.

The blocking lever 34 may be shifted into or out of blocking position either by manually operable means at the inside of the door or by a key operated lock from the outside of the door. The manually operable means 'at the inside of the door for shifting the blocking lever 35 comprises a vertically shiftable rod or plunger 37 which is pivotally connected at 38 to the inner end 34b, the right end as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, of the blocking lever 35. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the end 34b of the blocking lever 34 extends through a slot 39 in the flange 11,the upper and lower edges 39a and 39b, respectively of theslot 39 thus effectively providing means for limiting the range of swinging movement of the blocking lever 35. A toggle spring 40 having one end 400 seated in an aperture in the end 34b of the blocking lever 34 and its other end 40b seated in an aperture in the case plate 10 is provided to yieldingly urge and hold the blocking lever 34 toward its upper and lower limits of movement. The rod 37 carries at its upper end a knob 41 which may be manipulated at the inside of the door to shift the plunger vertically in either direction, thereby swinging the blocking lever 34 either to dispose the flange 36 into blocking relation to the end of the detent release lever arm 21 or to move the flange 36 out of suchblocking relation.

An illustrative means for swinging the blocking lever 34 through a key controlled device operable from the outside of the door comprises a pin 42 mounted on any suitable member 43 attached to the inner end of the shaft 44 of a key cylinder mechanism 45. The pin 42 is mounted for movement eccentrically of the axis of rotation of the shaft 44 and extends through an aperture 46 in the flange 36 of the blocking lever 34. Thus, when the shaft -44 is turned as the result of turning movement exerted on a key inserted in the key operated device, the pin 42 will be swung thereby causing swinging movement of the blocking lever 34 either into or out of blocking position.

In the present invention means is provided for automatically moving the blocking lever 34 from its blocking position shown in Fig. 1 to its non-blocking position shown in Fig. 2, which means utilizes the fact that the detent '15 is movable independently of actuation by the release lever 20. Such independent movement of the detent 15 occurs intwo ways. First, whenever the remote control handle on the inside of the vehicle door is turned so as to cause the bell crank lever arm 32b to move downwardly, the lever arm 32b will engage the detent arm 18 and thereby swing the detent 15 about its pivot resulting in disengagement of the detent arm 17 from the ratchet 14. Second, whenever the door is moved from an open to a closed position the rotary bolt 12 will be rotated as the teeth 12a thereon mesh with the striker device mounted on the body pillar. Since the ratchet isresponsive to every movement of the bolt 12, it too will be -rotated, the direction of rotation being counterclockwise asviewed in Figs. 1 and 2. As has been described, the construction and arrangement of the detent arm 17 relative to the abutments 14a on the ratchet" 14 is such that the detent arm 17 is only able to restrain rotation of the ratchet in one direction, i. e. in a clockwise direction'as viewed inFigs. 1 and 2. Upon. rotation in a counterclockwise direction the ratchet 14 will lift the detent arm 17past each high point on the abutments 14a, the-pivotal movement of the detent 15 being independent of-any-movementof the release lever 20.

The extension 19 of the detent arm 17 is the means for utilizing the foregoing described independent movement of the detent 15 to swing the blocking lever 34 to nonblocking positions in the event that the latch mechanism is released from inside the car while the blocking lever is in blocking position or in the event that the blocking lever is inadvertently placed in blocking position while the door is open. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the extension 19 of the detent arm 17 extends to a point substantially tween the surface of the case plate and the under sur-' face of the lower end of the lever arm 21 when the'flange 36 of the blocking lever 34 is in blocking position relative to the lower end of the lever 21. The suitably curved edge 46 of the blocking lever end 34a lies in close proximity to the end of the extension 19. Upon movement of the detent caused either by rotation of the ratchet 14 as the door is moved to a closed position or by actuation of the bell crank lever 32 through actuation of the remote control handle on the inside of the door, the extension 19 of the detent 15 will strike the edge 46 of the blocking lever 34 and swing the latter to a position in which the toggle spring 40 will cross its dead center position and thereby swing the lever 34 to its full unblocked position, i. e. its position as shown in Fig. 2.

The advantages of the foregoing construction arm: First, it requires only one operationto release and unlock the latch mechanism from the inside of the car. It is not necessary to manipulate the garnish molding push button 41 in order to release the blocking lever 34. One

manipulation of the inside remote control handle releases the detent from the ratchet and restores the blocking lever to its non-blocking position. Second, the latch mechanism if inadvertently placed in locked condition when the door is open, is automatically restored to unlocked condition when the door is closed thus forestalling any one direction from the pivot axis thereof, said arm having a detent portion engageable with said latch device for holding the same in door latching position, said lever possibility that the vehicle door might be placed in a 1 locked condition with the key inside the vehicle.

I claim: v 1. In a latch mechanism for a swinging door having a support provided with a plate portion for disposition at latch mechanism comprising a swingable member mounted for swinging movement on said plate portion, and

inner manually operable means for swinging said member 7 into a blocking position in which a portion thereof will block pivotal movement of said lever thereby to render said outer manually operable meansineffective to effect disengagement of said detent means, said detent means having a part disposed for actuation of said swingable member and said swingable member having a part movable into opposing relation to said detent means part when said member is disposed in said blocking position, said detent means being pivotally movable out of holding relation to said latch device independently of actuation thereof by said outer manually operable means to cause its said part to engage said member part and thereby shift said swingable member out of said blocking position.

2. In a latch mechanism for a swinging door, a support having a plate portion for disposition at the door jamb, a rotatable latch device mounted on said plate portion, a lever pivotally mounted on said plate portion, a blocking portion on said lever, outer manually operable means for. swinging said lever, detent means pivotally mounted on said plate portion to swing independently of said lever, said detent means having an arm extending in at one side of the pivotal axis thereof having a part arranged in opposing relation to a second portion on said arm to abut the same at the same side of the pivotal axes of said lever anddetent means upon swinging movement of said lever in one rotative direction thereby to pivotally move said detent means in the same rotative direction out of holding position with respect to said latch device, a swingable member mounted on said plate portion and having a part movable in a substantially up and down direction, said part having blocking means for cooperation with said blocking portion, inner manually operable means for moving said swingable member to dispose said blocking means in position to be engaged by said blocking portion thereby to block said lever and render the same ineiiective to move said detent means out of holding position with respect to said latch device, said detent arm having a third portion disposed for actuation of said swingable member, and said swingable member having a part movable into opposing relation to said detent arm portion when said blocking means are disposed in blocking position with respect to said blocking portion, said detent means being pivotally movable out of holding relation to said latch device independently of actuation thereof by said outer manually operable means to cause said detent arm third portion to engage said member part and thereby shift said member to move said blocking means out of blocking position with respect to said blocking portion.

3. In a latch mechanism for a swinging door, a support having a plate portion for disposition at the door jamb, a rotatable latch device mounted on said plate portion, a lever pivotally mounted on said plate portion,

a blocking portion on said lever, outer manually operable means for swinging said lever, detent means pivotally mounted on said plate portion to swing independently of said lever about a common pivot axis therewith, said detent means having an arm extending in one direction from the pivot axis thereof, said arm having a detent portion engageable with said latch device for holding the same in door latching position, said lever at one side of the pivotal axis thereof having a part arranged in opposing relation to a second portion on said arm to abut the same at the same side of the pivotal axes of said lever and detent means upon swinging movement of said lever in one rotative direction thereby to pivotally move said detent means in the same rotative direction out of holding position with respect to said latch device, a swingable member mounted on said plate portion and having a part movable in a substantially up and down direction, said part having blocking means for cooperation with said blocking portion, manually operable means for moving said swingable member to dispose said blocking means in position to be engaged by said blocking portion thereby to block said lever and render the same ineffective to move said detent means out of holding position with respect to said latch device, said detent arm having a third portion disposed for actuation of said swingable member and said swingable member having a part movable into opposing relation to said detent arm third portion when said blocking means is disposed in blocking relation to said blocking means, and inner manually operable means for pivotally actuating said detent means independently of said lever to cause said third portion to engage said member part and shift said swingable member and move said blocking means out of blocking position with respect to said blocking portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

